Episcopal Co-Chair of the Laity and Youth in Ghana, Bishop John Alphonse Asiedu has stressed the equality of dignity of the laity and the clergy.
According to him, the laity has a pivotal role to play in fostering the growth of the Catholic Church in Ghana through collaborative ministry.
Delivering a keynote address at the opening of the 45th National Plenary Assembly of the National Catholic Laity Council in Damongo held on the theme “Fostering the Growth of the Catholic Church in Ghana Through Collaborative Ministry – The Role of the Laity,” on April 12, Bishop Asisedu noted that the place of the laity in the Church cannot be underestimated.
He highlighted the principle of equality between the laity and the clergy, stating unequivocally, “The laity have a true equality of dignity with the clergy.”
In articulating the rights and responsibilities of the laity, the Prelate said, “The laity have a dominant role in the church’s mission to evangelize, because they form the greatest part of the church.”
“In exercising their rights, the lay faithful must take into account the common good of the church, the rights of others, and their own duties toward others,” Bishop Asiedu emphasized, highlighting the importance of responsible stewardship within the faith community.
He underscored the essential nature of their role in transforming the world through the Gospel, asserting that the laity are called to challenge existing social structures and offer alternatives grounded in the teachings of Christ.
He further noted that, before the Vatican II Council in 1963-1965, the Church was very clerical (the focus was on the apostolate or the activities of the Clergy). In its desire to intensify the apostolic activity of the people of God, the Council now earnestly turns its thoughts to the lay faithful.
The Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, Chapter IV, No.33; and the Sacrosanctum Concilium No.26-40, mention that the Laity’s involvement in the Church’s mission is special and indispensable.
“Indeed, the Church can never be without the lay apostolate: it is something that derives from the layman’s very vocation as a Christian,” the Bishop said.
